


A Mile in My Shoes

by MightyMunchlax



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, for fun, kwami swap au, reveal fic maybe, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:58:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MightyMunchlax/pseuds/MightyMunchlax
Summary: All has been quiet, so when her partner suggests swapping Miraculouses to cure their boredom, Ladybug accepts, that is until an akuma attacks and leaves them no time to switch back. With their kwamis now in the hands of their partner, these two have to figure out how to trade back without discovering their identities. A kwami swap au.





	1. Chapter 1

A Mile in My Shoes (Pt 1)

The afternoon air was cool and crisp, the heat of summer gradually giving way to a milder autumn. Ladybug watched the sunset off in the distance from a rooftop while she waited for her partner to show up for their patrol. She would give him a few more minutes before she got started on her own, but soon enough she heard the clanking of his boots against the concrete, and she turned to him with a smile.

“I was about to leave without you,” She teased.

“Sorry, m’lady. Got a little hung up,” He kissed her hand dramatically in greeting, and she pulled it back with an eye roll. “I’ve been thinking…”

“That’s never a good thing,” She smirked, but he brushed it off.

“Maybe we could work even better as a team if we understood each other better.”

“What are you suggesting?” She cocked a suspicious brow.

“What if we trade Miraculous? I can be Ladybug, and you can be Chat Noir…just for a little while!” He held up defensive hands when her eyes narrowed.

“Why?” She folded her arms over her chest.

“I dunno, it just seems like it would be fun,” He shrugged.

“And how are we going to trade? You don’t expect me to just drop my transformation right here, do you?”

“You can if you want, I’m not stopping you,” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Nice try,” She pushed his nose away.

“We can turn our backs to each other. I won’t look,” He placed a hand over his heart, and she considered it a moment, lips pursed.

“How are you going to wear mine? I don’t suppose your ears are pierced.”

“I can pin them to my shirt,” He countered.

“You have been thinking,” She sounded mildly impressed, much to his delight. “Alright. It’s been quiet today, so I’ll bite.”

“Really?” His ears perked up.

“Sure, why not?” She giggled.

They turned and pressed their backs together, taking a deep breath. Chat released first, and she heard a scratchy voice speak up.

“You actually convinced her to go through with this?” It grunted.

“Told you she’d say yes,” He sounded so impressed with himself, and after a couple more deep breaths she willed her own transformation away. She felt him stiffen behind her once she had returned to normal.

“So, we’re really doing this?” He asked with a hint of excitement.

“Yep,” She nodded, shakily removing her earrings. She trusted Chat, even if he was ridiculous at times. “Here.”

Chat held out a hand behind him, and she dropped the earrings in his palm lightly. After a moment, he passed her his ring.

“So, our kwami will see who we are,” She realized. “No asking about this later, okay?”

Chat nodded, heeding the seriousness of her tone. Slowly, they each slipped on their partner’s Miraculous, kwami switching sides to greet their temporary masters.

“Hey, I know y-” Marinette clamped her hands over the small cat’s head, muffling his next words.

“No identities. Do I make myself clear?” She said seriously, and he managed to squirm his bulbous head free, smiling up at her smugly.

“Name’s Plagg. You’re really pretty under the mask,” He smarmed, taking a dig at the boy standing behind her, and she felt him sigh.

“Can you behave?”

“No way. I know what your precious Ladybug looks like, and you don’t!” He laughed mockingly.

“Plagg!” He growled. It was amusing to watch them squabble. She never knew Chat was so serious under the mask; she figured he was always goofy and carefree.

“Now I know where you get all your spunk, Chat Noir,” She giggled.

“That’s Plagg for you. Everything is always hilarious,” The voice belonged to Tikki.

“Is that you, Tik?” Plagg gasped excitedly.

“Who else would it be, cheese brain?” Tikki retorted.

“Oh, c’mon. You’ve missed me,” He prodded, but Tikki ignored him.

“I’m Tikki. You’re already familiar with Ladybug’s powers, so we can skip the tutorial,” She said to Chat.

“Nice to meet you. Also, nice to have someone who thinks about more than their stomach.”

“Hey!”

“So, how does this work?” Marinette cut in, eyeing the ring that conformed to fit her finger perfectly.

“Claws out. That’s how you transform.”

“And for you it’s spots on,” Tikki added.

“Ready?” She and Chat said in unison.

“I’ll go first…Plagg, claws out!”

She expected to feel wrong transforming with someone other than Tikki, but it came just as naturally much to her surprise. She glanced down at her costume, slightly modified from Chat’s version. Her boots stretched up to her thighs, and her gloves extended passed her elbows. She felt kind of…hot. God, now she was thinking like Chat too.

“I guess it’s our turn. Tikki, spots on!”

Her heart pounded in her chest as red light flashed behind her. She couldn’t believe they actually did this! Would his costume be different too? Suddenly she felt nervous about it all.

“So awesome!” He laughed. “Turn around on three?”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three!” They both turned to take in the other. Chat’s version of her costume was more masculine, black boots reaching up mid-calf like his normal ones did, his hair less ruffled than usual, and his eyes…

“Wow,” They said in unison. His eyes were different from normal, or, she supposed, they were finally normal, a beautiful green she could easily get lost in. Wait, what was she thinking?

“E-Everything alright, m’lady?” He asked nervously.

“Y-Yeah! I just…I’ve never seen your eyes before when they’re not, um, ya know…” She motioned to her outfit and cleared her throat. “So, what do you want to d-”

Her voice trailed off as screams sounded from the streets below. An akuma.

“We need to switch back!” She glanced up at him, but he had a wide smirk on his face as he reached for the yoyo on his hip. “What are you doing?” She gasped as he launched it across the street in the direction of all the action.

“Saving Paris, right?” He laughed before he tugged the slack and shot off.

“Chat!” She screamed after him. She was so going to kill him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> Hi, friends! Since I'm taking a break from LC for a bit, I've wanted to write some other drabbles and short fics just to give you guys and myself some reprieve from the drama and angst that is LC. 
> 
> This idea sparked from a picture I saw on tumblr where someone edited these two in each other's superhero uniforms, and I've seen a few other people do kwami swap art and fics, so I thought I'd join in on the fun. I've been sitting on this for a couple weeks actually cause I wanted to finish up LC before Halloween.
> 
> This is going to be way shorter than LC cause it's just for fun, but hopefully it will still be enjoyable. ^^
> 
> Feel free to check out my other works if you haven't already. I'll be posting a lot this month, and I'll be picking up part two of Lady du Coeur in December, so if you haven't read it and want to catch up, you've got a month to do so :) 
> 
> Let me know what you think! I'll update this as I get it written, but I'll probably be writing several things at once, so stick around! Or don't, I dunno. Live your life. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

            What was he thinking? Running off into battle with her powers like it was some game! Akuma’s were serious, and their little game should have ended as soon as it popped up. They never should have done this!

            She reached for the staff on her belt and eyed it hesitantly. Chat wasn’t giving her much of a choice, and saving Paris came first, so she supposed she might as well roll with it.

            “Alright, let’s see how this thing works,” She turned it over in her hands, pressing the paw in the middle to extend it and taking a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.”

            As she flung herself less than gracefully into the action, Chat dodged out of the way of the villain’s attack. It appeared to be a coffee shop worker if she had to guess from the uniform, and she was willing to bet the akuma was in his apron.

            “Need an extra paw, Bugaboo?” She teased, landing beside him.

            “I’d love one, m’lady,” He winked, seemingly pleased with her use of cat puns. Those eyes of his made her stomach flip whenever they looked at her, and she kicked herself for betraying Adrien.

            “I’m so going to kill you after this by the way,” She added as the akuma glanced between them in confusion.

            “Aren’t you two usually the other way around?” He asked with narrowed eyes.

            “Yeah, we’re doing a…thing, so hurry up and let us kick your butt!” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

            “Unlikely. You’ve only made it easier for me to take your Miraculouses!” Barista chuckled.

            “No way! Just because we’re switched around doesn’t mean we’re any less dangerous!” Chat declared smugly.

            “We’ll see about that,” The akuma smirked, pulling a small coffee mug from his pocket. “Let’s see how fast you are. Can you destroy this cup before it explodes?” He turned and tossed it across the city with a wicked laugh.

            “I got it!” Chat stepped forward, but Ladybug grabbed his wrist.

            “No, you stay here and get the akuma from his apron. You have to purify it remember? I’ll go destroy the bomb with Cataclysm,” She ordered.

            “Oh yeah,” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Good luck!”

            She shot off unsteadily after the mug, using her enhanced hearing to listen for the beeps. A few pedestrians caught sight of her and cheered from below, assuming she was Chat; well, she supposed she technically was Chat Noir at that moment. They were going to have fun explaining this one to the press.

            As she rounded the corner next to Notre Dame, she spotted the small mug on top of one of the towers. Landing somewhat awkwardly, she rushed to grab the mug and turned it over in her hands frantically.

            “How do I- oh, duh,” She rolled her eyes, lifting her arm into the air. “Cataclysm!”

            The cup shriveled to ash in her hand, and she smiled triumphantly. Above her head, thousands of tiny, glowing ladybugs fluttered around the city, repairing any damage done, and she felt a little proud that he had managed to do it without her. That is, until her ring beeped, and she felt panic surge through her. She needed to find Chat. Fast.

Adrien

            As the city reverted back to normal, he looked around anxiously for his lady. He only had a minute left before he was going to change back, and he really didn’t want to plague Ladybug with that lazy cat of his for any longer than necessary. But soon he was forced to take cover and change back to his civilian self when she didn’t appear.

            “Looks like you’re stuck with me for a little longer, Tikki,” He winced apologetically as the small bug seemed worried, but she perked up quickly with a false enthusiasm he knew too well.

            “It’s alright. We’ll switch back next time,” She tried to sound cheerful, but Adrien could tell she felt uneasy about everything.

            “C’mon. Let’s get your energy replenished. I’ll get you anything you want,” He offered sweetly in an attempt to cheer her up. She nodded and burrowed into his over shirt, clinging to him timidly as he headed for the subway. “What do you normally eat?”

            “Ladybug usually feeds me cookies,” She replied, and he felt a rush of relief at such a normal request. Man, Ladybug had it easy.

            “I know the perfect place,” He grinned. “But we’ll have to hurry, they close soon-oof!”

            He tumbled forward on top of the poor, unsuspecting bystander with a grunt. Sitting up quickly, he muttered an apology before looking down into two familiar blue eyes.

            “A-Adri-en!” She gasped, cheeks turning bright pink.

            “Sorry!” He said again, helping her up. “I am _so_ sorry, Marinette. Are you okay?”

            “Fine! I’m, you’re, I mean, uh, yes,” She nodded, biting her lip. “Aha…what about you?”

            “The only thing wounded is my gentlemanly pride,” He chuckled good naturedly. “Let me make it up to you. I’ll take you home.”

            “I, uh, actually, I’m going to stop by the store first,” She gestured awkwardly with two fingers before clasping her hands together in front of her. “I, uh, need to pick up some cheese for dinner, my…dad really likes a certain kind.”

            “Oh, I know a good place. Let me take you, and consider it on me,” He winked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and steering her into a train car.

            “You don’t have to do that!” She twirled her fingers. “It’s alright, really.”

            “Nah, my treat for being such a klutz. Besides, I need a favor,” He insisted, shoving his hands in his pockets.

            “A favor? What is it?”

            “I’m really craving something sweet. Any chance you can score me some of your dad’s cookies?”

            “Y-Yeah! No problem,” She smiled, and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

            "So, what kind of cheese does your dad like?” He asked conversationally as he led the way to his usual cheese shop.

            “Oh, uh, Camembert,” She replied, and instinctively his nose wrinkled in disgust, pulling out a laugh from Marinette. “Not the most glamorous, I know, but he bakes it, and we eat it with bread. It’s actually pretty good.”

            “I can’t get it passed my nose,” He laughed.

            “It is a more…fragrant cheese, but he loves it,” She agreed as Adrien paid for a couple wheels. “Thanks for this.”

            “No problem. I should have been paying attention,” He rubbed the back of his neck and passed her the bag.

            “Usually I’m the one bumping into you, so I think it’s safe to say you’re fine,” She waved it away. True, it was extremely unlike him to be so careless, but at least he’d tripped into someone familiar.

            When they rounded the corner to the bakery, Marinette pushed open the door, despite the closed sign hanging in the window. She seemed so at ease in the empty shop, calling a cheerful greeting to her mother who sat at the counter tallying up the cash from the register. Most of the pastries had been cleared out, but he spotted a couple of chocolate chip cookies left in the display.

            “Mama, is it alright if Adrien takes home the leftover cookies?” She asked, pointing to the two lone treats in the glass case. Her mother glanced up and cocked a brow, and Adrien expected her to say no.

            “I-I can pay for them no problem,” He insisted, reaching for his wallet, but Mrs. Cheng smiled and waved it away.

            “Go ahead, dear. They’ll go to waste otherwise,” She replied, going back to her counting.

            “Thanks,” He smiled sheepishly as Marinette bagged them up. Her parents were way awesome, and he kind of envied her a little. His father would have kicked him out for sure if the tables were turned.

            “Here you go. Hopefully it’s enough to satisfy your sweet tooth,” Marinette presented the bag to him, and he took it with a grateful nod. “And thanks again for the cheese.”

            “No problem,” He laughed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            “Bye…Adrien,” She waved as he made his way out. Tikki crawled into the bag as he headed up the street, and he faintly heard her munching. Buying Camembert made him miss Plagg, though he didn’t miss having to smell it. Hopefully he wasn’t giving Ladybug too much trouble…

Plagg

            Paradise had a name and it was Camembert. Sure, these two were dumber than doorknobs, but at least he got his favorite post-akuma battle treat. Though it was pretty painful watching them interact with how blinded they were by their love to really see, well, each other. He was going to love milking this on both ends.

            “That boyfriend of yours has good taste in cheese,” Plagg mumbled around a mouthful of Camembert.

            “W-What? He’s not my – I mean, not _yet_. Does it seem like we’re a couple?” She squealed, cupping her hands over her cheeks. Wow, she was almost exactly like Adrien.

            “Well, you’ve got his face all over your wall, so I think you’re at least halfway convinced,” He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

            “Well, I didn’t anticipate having company, so I didn’t have time to clean,” She sighed, picking him up abruptly. “And if word gets back to Chat Noir about this, cat is going on the menu, got it?”

            “Yeah, yeah, now put me back next to the Camembert!” He squirmed until she released him with a sigh.

            “Good. I don’t want him doing anything weird to my precious Adrien out of jealousy,” She gazed dreamily at her photos, and Plagg shook his head in disbelief.

            Yeesh. And he thought Adrien was obsessed. He was going to have a field day torturing him about Ladybug’s crush, but man were these two dense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Notes:
> 
> Our cat and bug children have the stupid, but we love them anyways
> 
> Sorry this one took forever, it’s the end of the semester so I’ve got a million things to do.
> 
> Probably going to finish this next chapter, but I’ll have to see…I could maybe squeeze out one more, but I won’t know until I sit to write it.
> 
> Chapter 13 of Lady du Coeur is coming along, I’ll pick up posting about mid-December once finals are over. If you haven’t read it, just click on my name to pull up my other works. It’s my main focus right now, so it’s much more thought-out and detailed than these short drabbles.
> 
> Let me know what you think of this! If you have any other drabble requests feel free to comment them below or send them to me on my tumblr (MightyMunchlax)
> 
> See you guys soon!
> 
>  


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, it’s been a while.
> 
> I started on this one right after the old one, got sidetracked, then I had no motivation to write this one, picked up something else, picked this one back up a couple weeks ago, wrote up to the lucky charm part, couldn’t think of something clever at the time, put it back down, picked it back up, wrote the ending scene then finally filled in the akuma resolution, and so, here it is. 4 months later…
> 
> I’m sorry.

Chapter Three

            When morning came, Adrien sat up in his bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes. It was eerily quiet, he noticed, and he remembered that Plagg wasn’t there to fill the room with his snores. Speaking of…where was Tikki?

            “Good morning,” A cheerful voice called from above. “I was just admiring your book collection.”

            “It’s fine,” He yawned. “Did you sleep okay?”

            “Not a wink, but sometimes I like to stay up and read,” She waved it away.

            “You miss her?” Adrien cocked a brow, and Tikki shrank slightly. “It’s alright. I miss her too.”

            “She really detests your flirting, you know. As Chat Noir anyway,” She giggled.

            “What does that mean?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

            “Nothing,” She grinned smugly.

            “Adrien? Are you up?” Nathalie called from the other side of his door.

            “Y-Yeah,” He answered.

            “Breakfast will be ready shortly,” She said, and Adrien listened as the clicks of her heels grew softer.

            “So, what are we going to do, Tikki? Am I just supposed to wait for another akuma to attack?” He turned to her and ran a hand through his hair.

            “I don’t suppose there’s much else we can do. Not without revealing who you are,” Tikki tapped her chin. “Akumas pop up all the time, so hopefully you can swap back soon.”

            “Yeah,” Adrien nodded. “Hopefully.”

Marinette

            “I’m so late!” She yelped, racing up the front steps into the school.

            Plagg hadn’t woken her up like Tikki usually did when she slept through her alarm. In fact, the lazy bones was still asleep in her purse at the moment. She hoped Chat Noir was more prompt than she was.

            Ugh! Chat Noir.

            What had she been thinking yesterday? Why did she let him talk her into this? And why were his eyes so…dreamy? No! She wasn’t going to think of him that way! She’d never betray Adrien! Still, he did look kind of handsome in her suit…

            She was losing it. Had to be. No way she just so happened to be attracted to Chat Noir after all this time just because she saw his eyes. It wasn’t happening. It _couldn’t_ happen. They were a team and needed to focus on saving Paris. Yeah. That’s why she couldn’t like him.

            “Did you get picked to be Ladybug because your face is all red and spotted?”

            “Plagg! Shh!” She clamped her hand over her bag. “And do you have a problem with my face?”

            “Yeah, it’s red and spotty,” He repeated, and she pursed her lips sourly.

            “They’re freckles. Lots of people have them, and I was just thinking about someone…” She shook her head to clear it. “Doesn’t matter.”

            “Thinking about the boy on your wall?” He batted his eyelashes mockingly. “Or about Chat Noir in your Ladybug suit?”

            “How did you-”

            “I can hear what goes on in your head when you’re transformed,” He pointed out.

            “Then that’s another secret that’s gonna stay between us,” She ordered, snapping her purse shut as she walked into class. “Oof!”

            “Whoa, careful!” Adrien gasped, catching her smoothly after she oh-so-rudley bumped into him. Again.

            _Dummy!_ She mentally kicked herself as she straightened up.

            “You okay?” He asked sweetly, training those gorgeous eyes on her.

            “Uh, y-yeah, fine! Sorry! I should pay more attention,” She rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish smile.

            “Don’t sweat it,” He chuckled, gesturing her ahead to her seat. Chloe was seething when she passed, and Marinette couldn’t help the small smirk that crept across her lips.

            “Aww, no way! An akuma is attacking the Grand Palais, and I’m stuck here!” Alya hissed, pounding her fist on the desk.

            “A what?” She gasped, leaning over her friend to see the screen.

            Well, they needed an akuma to swap back anyways. May as well do it sooner rather than later.

            “I, uh, I’m not feeling well. I’m gonna go see the nurse!” She cupped a hand over her mouth.

            “I…need to use the restroom!” Adrien stood up and rushed out behind her. He seemed to ditch class a lot too. Maybe he had a sensitive stomach.

            Once she was in the safety of the girl’s bathroom, she opened her purse quickly, but the small cat had curled up again.

            “Plagg!” She growled. “Seriously? Wake up! Paris is in trouble!”

            “Five more minutes…” He mumbled sleepily.

            “No time!” She sighed. “Claws out!”

            “Ugh, you’re just as bad as Adrie-” He groaned as the ring sucked him inside.

            “Okay, Marinette, it’s a pole. How hard can it be to master?” She coached herself, tapping the staff in her free hand before extending it and sprinting forward, picturing how Chat Noir usually vaults himself forward.

            Ugh! Thinking about his body was the last thing she should be doing, and her traitor of a heart took off in her chest. Maybe she’d been hallucinating before, and he wasn’t even as good looking as she thought. Eyes couldn’t change someone’s face _that_ much, could they?

            “You’re getting pretty good at that,” His overly-confident and flirtatious lilt startled her.

            She turned and made direct eye contact with him, and her heart went into overdrive.

            Okay, he looked good in her suit. Like, _really_ good, but now wasn’t the time to be standing slack-jawed on a roof, ogling over his gorgeous eyes or crooked smile. She shook herself and refocused on the task at hand.

            “Uh, yeah, so we need to not get separated this time so we can switch back,” She instructed. The sooner he got out of her suit the better. Maybe if he went back to being his normal self, she could forget that she ever thought about him as anything more than a partner.

            “And what happens if we do?” His mask raised to one side.

            “Then we meet back at the Eiffel Tower an hour later,” She decided. “I was nearly late to class because Plagg didn’t wake me up.”

            “Aww, is my lady a little bedbug?” He cooed.

            “Can we focus on the task at hand?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’d like to switch back soon.”

            “Sorry. I just think it’s a _mew_ sing that you’re a late sleeper,” He snickered, but a loud crash across town snapped them both back to reality.

            “Come on, let’s hurry up and beat this thing,” She ordered, leaping from the roof and twirling the staff above her head like she’d seen him do so many times.

            “Ladybug and – Wait…” The akumatized villain stopped in confusion. She seemed to be some sort of ballerina.

            “Yeah, yeah, we’re backwards, so what?” She didn’t give them a chance to adjust before striking, sending her flying across the street. “Doesn’t mean we’re any less dangerous.”

            “Well, I’m not going to let you take away my dream! I’ll be taking both of your Miraculouses for Hawkmoth!” She stomped her foot in anger, but the two heroes gave her no time before springing into action.

            Their battle eventually led them to the dance studio where the instructor she sought revenge on was working with the prima on her solo. Eventually, their fun caught up to them as they both struggled to use the other’s powers effectively. When Chat Noir summoned a lucky charm and received a spool of ribbon, he eyed it with utter confusion.

            “Any ideas?” He glanced at her with a furrowed mask, hooding those beautiful emerald eyes.

            “Isn’t that your job right now?” She sighed, dodging a mannequin head that got launched her way.

            “Well, how do you normally do it?” He asked, glancing around. “I’m not getting anything.”

            “I don’t know! I just think of something,” She groaned.

            “Well, here goes nothing,” He shrugged, tossing the ribbon across the room where it collided with Prima’s face.

            “ _That_ was your plan?” She face palmed.

            “You make it look so easy!” He rubbed the back of his neck with a chagrined frown.

            “Fine, I’ll figure something out,” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Prima recovered from the shock. She eyed the ribbon on the floor, an idea forming in her mind. “Get ready to capture the akuma.”

            “Uh, right,” He nodded as she charged forward, engaging Prima in hand-to-hand combat.

            It didn’t take long for Prima to knock her onto her back in just the right position.

            “Looks like you’re a little out of your element, kitty cat,” She smirked, pacing forward. “I’ll take that ring of yours.”

            “I don’t think so,” Ladybug smirked, tugging the ribbon out from under Prima’s feet, forcing her to fall backward.

            Ladybug sprang to her feet, readying her cataclysm, and kart-wheeled passed Prima catching her tiara and turning it to ash before she tossed it to Chat Noir. He caught it and crushed it in his hand, revealing the black butterfly hiding inside. He captured it in the yoyo, and she smiled to herself. They’d actually managed to beat two akumas while swapped around. They really were an amazing team.

“Great work, m’lady,” He smiled, approaching her as the magic from lucky charm fixed all the damage.

            “Thanks,” She winked. “Now, let’s get things swapped back.”

            The earrings beeped frantically as she dragged him to the storage closet, and soon she saw the flash of light and felt his bare skin against her suit. She blushed a little, wondering what he looked like without the mask, but she quickly shoved the feeling away as they entered the large closet together. It occurred to her in that moment that she was now alone in a closet with Chat Noir. Not that she expected anything to happen, but still, the principle of the idea made her face burn.

            “Um, so, back-to-back like before?” She asked nervously, swallowing hard when he remained silent for a moment.

            “You could turn around if you wanted,” He murmured, stepping closer to her and taking her hand. “I don’t mind if you see who I am.”

            Her heart erupted in her chest, and for half a second, she was sorely tempted to turn around. To see the face that went with those alluring green eyes. But she shouldn’t, couldn’t, and despite how badly she wanted to in that moment, she knew that it would only complicate things more if they knew. So, reluctantly, she shook her head.

            “It’s better if we don’t know, kitty,” She said quietly, feeling her heart sink when he dropped her hand and turned to press his back to hers.

            “Alright,” He replied despondently, and she heard him unfastening the earrings from his shirt.

            “Plagg,” She commanded, and in a flash of green light, she was back to normal. Chat Noir passed her earrings back, and she traded him for his ring. “It was interesting, that’s for sure.”

            “Yeah,” He chuckled. “Maybe we can do it again sometime.”

            “I think not,” She grunted, leaning her head back to rest against him with a sigh. “But it was fun while it lasted.”

            “Definitely,” He reached for her hand once more and gave it a gentle squeeze that made her heart skip. His hands were soft.

            “I should go,” She cleared her throat after a minute, unlacing her fingers from his, but he squeezed tighter.

            “Wait,” He pleaded. “Ladybug…please turn around.”

            She bit her lip, mind racing with all of the reasons why she really wanted to, and all the reasons why she really shouldn’t. If she looked into his eyes again, saw his face, it would be over, and she wouldn’t be able to resist falling for him. And given their responsibilities to the city, they couldn’t afford to be distracted by each other.

            “We can’t, Chat,” She sighed, removing her hand from his and heading for the door straight ahead. “See you next time.”

            “Yeah. See you, Bug,” He sighed dejectedly, and she slipped out the door before the guilt could weigh her down anymore.

            She shouldn’t feel guilty about it; she’d said from the beginning that they should keep their identities a secret, even from each other, so why all of a sudden did she want to so badly? When she’d made it safely around the corner, she leaned against the wall and let out a flustered sigh. Her face felt hot, and the pounding of her heart made it hard to breathe. She listened as the door creaked, and his footsteps exited the closet.

            “The love of your life was standing in her own skin behind you, and you let her walk away?” Plagg scolded in disbelief.

            “It’s what she wanted,” He said as if it couldn’t be helped.

            “I don’t get you,” His grumpy companion responded sourly.

            “Sometimes I don’t understand it either, but even though it hurts, I’d never make her do anything she didn’t want to,” He explained softly.

            “Human love is so strange,” Plagg commented, and Marinette listened as his footsteps headed in the other direction.

            “Yeah, I guess it is,” He chuckled sadly, and before she could stop herself, she rounded the corner once more.

            “Chat Noir!” She called, covering her mouth as soon as she said it. He froze in place and turned around, and Marinette felt her heart jump up to her throat. All along…

            “Ladybug?” He gasped, eyes wide with shock.

            “Um, y-yeah,” She whimpered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. He eyed her for a moment before taking a few steps toward her, but she didn’t know how to think or feel. “Bye…” She said quickly, rounding the corner once more and pacing swiftly for the door at the end of the hall. When she heard him in pursuit, she walked faster.

            “Wait!” He called, reaching the corner and picking up the pace to catch up. She was almost at the door, and beyond it were the busy streets of Paris which she could easily lose him in. “Marinette!” At the sound of her own name, she stopped, hand frozen on the bar.

            It was all over now. He knew, and she knew. And all along, the boy she loved, the boy she spent every hour thinking about, had been right by her side the whole time. She’d never realized. She’d never paid attention. All of those flirtatious jokes and bad puns were all from him. Adrien. He’d reached her by that point, and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

            “Please, look at me,” He whispered, and she slowly loosened her grip on the door and turned around, eyes burning as she fought back tears. “Well, hi.”

            “H-H,” She covered her mouth and glanced away.

            “Are you disappointed that it’s me, Marinette?” He winced, letting his hand fall back to his side.

            “No!” She said quickly, head snapping up once more.

            “But you’re upset,” He pointed out softly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

            “I just…I don’t know what I was thinking,” She covered her face with her hands. “I shouldn’t have…”

            “I promise not to bother you if you don’t want me to. I’ll never bring it up if that’s what you want-”

            “It’s not that,” She shook her head. “I wanted to this time, but I shouldn’t have. I wasn’t thinking, I was just-”

            “Following your heart?” He cocked his head to the side a little, and she lowered her gaze once more. “It’s okay, Bug. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

            “I want…” She considered it for a moment and continued, “a hug.”

            “Well, I think I can muster one of those,” He smirked, extending his arms and wrapping them around her when she stepped forward. She leaned against his chest, and he held her tightly, nuzzling into her hair.

            “Are you disappointed that it’s me? I-I overheard Plagg saying you loved Ladybug, sorry…” She grimaced apologetically as he rubbed her back. “But I’m not Ladybug all the time.”

            “I’m not Chat Noir all the time,” He shrugged then smiled warmly. “I’m a little disappointed. Disappointed that I didn’t see it sooner. I mean, you’re just as brave as Ladybug, just as kind and sweet and caring, sophisticated, talented, smart, hot headed,” He tugged one of her pigtails teasingly. “Beautiful.”

            “You think all of that about Ladybug?” She blushed.

            “I think all of that about _you_ , Marinette,” He laughed. “I always said ever since you captured all of those akumas on the Eiffel Tower that it didn’t matter who was under that mask. I love you.” Hearing those words made her mouth go dry, and a lump form in her throat.

            “I…” She started, voice cracking, so she swallowed a little to clear her throat. “I’ve always loved _you_ , Adrien. Ever since you gave me that umbrella.” At that he laughed.

            “Looks like we’ve been chasing each other in circles,” He chuckled, pressing his forehead to hers.

            “Yeah,” She smiled. “I guess we have.”

            “So, where does that leave us?” He cocked a brow. “I mean, where do we go from here?”

            “Where do you want to go?” She bit her lip and shifted her weight slightly.

            “Hmmm,” He pursed his lips. “Well, I think first and foremost, we should get some coffee. I have a feeling you and I have a lot to tell each other.”

            “Okay,” She nodded, letting him lace his fingers through hers once more and lead her out into the street. They walked hand-in-hand to a nearby café where they picked up cookies for Tikki, and two coffees to-go. From there they spent hours in the rooftops of Paris exchanging stories of how much they’d admired each other, and how silly it all was. Seeing Adrien as Chat helped ease a lot of her previous nerves, and it felt nice to talk to someone about all of her superhero drama. Someone she loved and trusted.

            “It’s getting late. We should probably go home. Our parents will start to wonder what happened to us,” She said, watching the sun setting on the distant horizon.

            “Yeah, you’re probably right,” He sighed, standing up and helping her to her feet. He held her hands in his for a moment, biting his lip. “Can I do one more thing?”

            “Sure, what is it?” She tilted her head to the side slightly, arching a brow.

            “Close your eyes,” He breathed, wrapping his arms around her waist, and no sooner had she done so when his lips touched hers softly.

It felt weird knowing this was her second kiss with Adrien, but the circumstances surrounding it were, admittedly, much better than the first. Of all the ways this could have happened, she had never expected that a silly decision to switch Miraculouses would have lead them to this, but his lips were warm and showed no signs of pulling away anytime soon. Which was fine by her because she wasn’t letting go either. All along Adrien had been by her side, and she’d never even realized. Yet there they stood in a tight embrace, the taste of his breath on her tongue, as she laced her fingers through his messy hair.

When they finally pulled away, their eyes locked as they both panted slightly. He loosened his tight grip slightly and touched his nose to hers.

“See you tomorrow, m’ladybug?” He smiled widely, and she pushed his nose away, casting him a smile of her own.

“See you in class, chaton,” She giggled before turning and leaping from the roof, her yoyo carrying her across the city in a single swing.

Adrien and Chat Noir were the same person. If she didn’t know any better, she wouldn’t have believed it, but in a way, she was glad that she found out who he was. She would have driven herself crazy thinking about Chat and Adrien, but now she didn’t have to. It was hard to believe that it all started with one of his crazy ideas, and she had to wonder what crazy scheme he’d cook up next.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed this! I didn’t expect to carry it so far, and I was actually considering doing an angsty ending where they didn’t reveal, and Adrien was just kind of sad, and Plagg made fun of him because he knew what Ladybug looked like, etc. But then I got the idea that I wrote, and I figured you guys would hate me less for it after I made you wait so long. XD
> 
> This was one fic that was keeping me from starting new ones cause I have a lot of ideas in my head, and I didn’t want to take on another multi-chapter when I had this one sitting on the back burner, so now that it’s finished I can move on!
> 
> If you haven’t read my other works, feel free to click on my username and see my other Miraculous fics, and let me know what you thought of this one! It is officially over now, just cause I lost motivation for it and had to force myself to finish it. I wasn’t really sure where I was going with it, so I tied it up with a cute ending.
> 
> See you guys in my next fic!


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